Is your fleet governance robust? It's a question every fleet manager, or anyone involved in the safe and effective running of company vehicles, needs to ask themselves. As fleets evolve to increasingly electrified vehicles, evolving fleet governance is critical - existing policies need to be reviewed and updated to ensure they are relevant and reflect how electric vehicles are managed within the fleet.
Here's why your business need a robust and up-to-date fleet policy:
- Aligns fleet operations with business ESG and net zero goals
- Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory standards
- Manages fleet risk, cost, and carbon impact
- Monitors driver performance, safety and insurance
- Formalises procedures for vehicle allocation, maintenance and tech use
- Sets clear and consistent expectations for drivers
Fleet policy is a critical part of effective fleet governance and my team often reviews customer fleet policies as part of our initial fleet audit. In our experience, whilst most businesses have the basics in place, the policy often needs further refinement or updating to account for electrification. The most common policy omission is driver training which is so important, especially with the transition to EVs - it’s essential but often overlooked.
Paul Reeves, Account Manager, Gofor
Where do I start when it comes to developing fleet policy?
We’ve put together a comprehensive checklist for fleet operators including the key areas that we would expect to see in a best practice fleet policy.
1. Driver management
Licensing requirements - including holding a valid UK licence suitable for the vehicle type
Eligibility checks - logging licence points, bans or medical issues and frequency of updates
Driver training - induction plus ongoingtraining, EV, safety, efficient driving strategies.
Expected conduct - required behaviours and compliance with the Highway Code and drink/drugs policy
Vehicle check obligations - responsibilities for routine safety inspections
Fuel / charge card use - process, limits, EV charging expectations
Accountability measures - indicate any disciplinary outcomes of fleet policy breaches
2. Vehicle use and allocation
Vehicle assignment - definition of who can use vehicles and for what purpose
Personal use policy - clear information on if/when company vehicles can be driven for personal use
Pool vehicle policy - including eligibility, booking process and return protocols
Fuel/charging reimbursement - clarify process
Grey fleet standards - how, when and who can use privately-owned vehicles on business, including a focus on general maintenance and upkeep insurance and MOT compliance
Usage restrictions - note any prohibited/approval required activities e.g. towing, off-road use and travel abroad
3. Vehicle selection and sustainability
How the fleet policy aligns to overall business goals - including ESG policy
Vehicle selection - policy on election of low-emission vehicles which may vary by vehicle type
EV charging policy - including workplace, home and public charging procedures and eligibility
Alternative transport methods - guidance on when to use non car/van transport
Effective route planning - how to make journeys efficient, including EV charging and app recommendations
4. Maintenance, safety and compliance
Fleet health and safety - use of mobile phones, defined kit included within the vehicle e.g.warning triangle, first aid kit etc.
Servicing schedules - overview maintenance requirements and driver obligations, including EV schedules
Safety inspections - define how and when safety checks such as tyre inspections should be carried out and logged; plus steps to rectify dashboard warning lights
Legal obligations - include requirements for MOTs, tax, insurance, load compliance and fine management
Policy review cycle - detail frequency of review and update for the fleet policy
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5. Incident management and insurance
Breakdown policy - include information on breakdown provider
Accident process - detail what drivers should do at the scene of an accident
Incident reporting - process and expected timelines for reporting incidents
Insurance coverage - clarify what is and isn’t covered by company insurance
6. Technology
Outline core fleet technology e.g.driver app or portal and driver requirements
Technology usage - state expectations around telematics and dashcam usage, where applicable
Data use - how this will be used by the business, in line with GDPR including the use of technology to monitor driver performance and optimise operations.
Ready to tackle your fleet policy?
The fleet landscape is rapidly evolving, and keeping up-to-date can be a challenge. Robust fleet governance is no longer optional; it’s an essential part of the company vehicle toolkit, ensuring due care and attention are given to legal requirements, ESG commitments, business goals, driver safety and fleet efficiency. At Gofor, we work with customers daily to provide them with the guidance they need to deliver a fit-for-purpose fleet policy. If it’s been a while since you last reviewed your policy or you’ve yet to fully implement one, now is the time to get things moving.
Take a look at our checklist, get in touch, and let us help build your fleet governance framework.
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